2022 European derecho (original) (raw)

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2022 European derecho

Storm damage in Barga, Tuscany, Italy
Date(s) 18 August 2022
Duration >12 hours[1]
Track length 622 mi (1,000 km)[1]
Peak wind gust (measured) 139.2 mph (224 km/h; 62.2 m/s)[1][2][3]
Largest hail 4.33 in (11 cm)[1]
Fatalities 12 deadFrance (Corsica): 5 Austria: 5 Italy: 2 116 injuries[1]
Damage costs $247 million (2022 USD)[4]
Types of damage Widespread damage to residential and commercial property and public utility infrastructure
Areas affected Corsica, northern Italy, Austria, Slovenia, southern Czech Republic

The 2022 European derecho was a violent derecho which resulted in strong winds on the French island of Corsica and in parts of northern Italy, Austria, Slovenia, and the southern Czech Republic on 18 August 2022 which traveled over 1,000 kilometres (620 mi).[5][6][1] The event resulted in 12 fatalities, and at least 116 others were injured.[1]

Meteorological history

[edit]

Lightning trace from 00 to 18 UTC showing the derecho track (dark red to white).

A Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) formed during the night from 17 to 18 August over the northern Balearic Islands and then rapidly moved towards the northeast, hitting Corsica early in the morning. The weather radar images show that the line of thunderstorms gradually arched and became a bow echo with the descent of the mid-level jet on the western flank of the MCS, producing powerful gusts of wind at the surface.[7] The system affected Northern Italy afterward and Austria, all within a 12-hour period.

Météo-France was criticized for only triggering an Orange Vigilance by the morning, after the first reports of wind. Even if, according to some specialists, a numerical weather prediction simulation was predicting such an exceptional event, a spokesman for Météo-France defended the organization by saying that not all did because they do not yet represent these very localized phenomena well enough.[8]

In Corsica, at least five people died and 20 were injured. Four injuries were serious, and 125 water rescues were also required.[9] Winds up to 225 km/h (140 mph) were reported at Marignana, with widespread gusts of 111 km/h (69 mph) (Sari-d'Orcino) to 206 km/h (128 mph) (L'Île-Rousse), including 158 km/h (98 mph) in the capital of Ajaccio.[7]

At one point, it was believed that 350 people were missing, but all have since been found alive.[10]

In Italy, two people were killed by falling trees in Tuscany. At least 41 others were injured in the region. Masonry on the belltower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice was damaged.[11][12] In Piombino, the wind spun a Ferris wheel out of control, detaching at least one of the empty cabins. Winds gusted as high as 140 kilometres per hour (87 mph).[13][14]

In Austria, five people died and 14 were injured, mostly by falling trees. Winds caused waves to get up to 50 centimetres (1.6 ft), and over 65,000 Austrians lost power.[15]

In Slovenia, at least four people were injured.[16]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Pucik, Tomas. "The derecho and hailstorms of 18 August 2022". ESSL.org. European Severe Storms Laboratory. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  2. ^ "European Severe Weather Database". European Severe Storms Laboratory. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Violents orages en Corse: les images impressionnantes de l'aéroport d'Ajaccio balayé par des rafales de vent". 18 August 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  4. ^ Q3 Global Catastrophe Recap October 2022, Aon
  5. ^ Pucik, Tomas. "This was definitely a derecho and a high-end one!". Twitter. Tomas Pucik (ESSL Researcher). Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  6. ^ Groenemeijer, Pieter. "Scary video of when yesterday's derecho (i.e. a long-lived bow echo storm) moved on shore in Liguria". Twitter. Pieter Groenemeijer (ESSL Director). Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Violents orages très venteux en Corse le 18 août". Brèves (in French). Keraunos (Observatoire français des tornades et orages violents). 19 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Orages en Corse : l'alerte de Météo France a-t-elle été trop tardive ?". France info (in French). 18 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Orages en Corse : le bilan revu à cinq morts ; la vigilance orange réactivée". Le Monde.fr (in French). 18 August 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  10. ^ Angrand, Marc; Overstraeten, Benoit Van (18 August 2022). "Three killed as violent storm hits Corsica". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Maltempo: Trombe d'aria e nubifragi in Toscana e al Nord. A Lucca e Carrara due morti – Cronaca". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 18 August 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Maltempo Toscana e trombe d'aria: 2 morti oltre 40 feriti/ Video "stato di emergenza"". IlSussidiario.net (in Italian). 18 August 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Two die in violent storms pounding Italy; more bad weather forecast". Reuters. 19 August 2022. Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  14. ^ Watch The cabins fly away The Ferris wheel in the storm, archived from the original on 19 August 2022, retrieved 19 August 2022
  15. ^ red, ORF at/Agenturen (18 August 2022). "Auch zwei Kinder tot: Fünf Menschen starben bei Unwettern". news.ORF.at (in German). Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  16. ^ "Huda ura: odkrivalo strehe, poškodovanih več ljudi (FOTO in VIDEO)". www.slovenskenovice.si (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.